“Over my dead body!” Hickenlooper retorted with a chuckle, to which Republicans cheered.

But in the marbled hallways outside the Senate, the Democratic governor made clear that while he was trying hard to avoid calling a special session to resolve a dispute over a bill enacting hundreds of rules, he would do it if he had to.

“If we can’t find resolution, then we’re obviously going to have a special session,” Hickenlooper said, “but I’ll wear my fingers to the bone punching in cell phone numbers and talking to everyone I can to see if we can figure out where is there common ground.”

And a special session could happen as early as Thursday, he said. The rules must be enacted by Saturday to take effect.

“We’re looking at that right now. It depends on when, of all the procedural – the rule-making bodies – which ones are most directly affected,” Hickenlooper said. “If suddenly we can’t issue hunting licenses and fishing licenses, then we’ll do it (a special session) tomorrow.”

The rumble started Tuesday night when House Republicans attached an amendment benefiting the payday loan industry to the annual rules bill. The payday lending proposal already had been shot down when it was in the form of a bill by the Democratic-led Senate, and the House today gave the bill a final vote on a 33-32 party line vote, sending it back to the Senate which is expected to stick to its position.

That will send the bill back to the House, unless that chamber adjourns for the session before the Senate takes action. House Speaker Frank McNulty[3], R-Highlands Ranch, said that if the Democratic-led Senate refuses to take the House amendment, it will kill the bill.

But Democrats argued that attaching the payday loan amendment was “hijacking” hundreds of regulations necessary for daily commerce and recreation.

While it would cost taxpayers $21,000 a day to hold a special session, the governor said the cost of not re-enacting and amending hundreds of state agency regulations governing everything from hunting licenses to greenhouse emissions could be far higher for Coloradans.

“The cost is beyond the cost in dollars,” he said.

Hickenlooper visited both chambers today to shake hands and urge lawmakers to find a solution to the standoff. An ugly fight over redistricting and some hard personal feelings between McNulty and Senate President Brandon Shaffer[4], D-Longmont, have not assisted in defusing the situation.

Hickenlooper has generally avoided wading into partisan battles, but he clearly was taking sides on this issue.

“They (House Republicans) are continuing legislative discussion in a place where it really doesn’t belong,” Hickenlooper said. “I can certainly see both sides, but you don’t want to ever get to a point where you’re holding the state hostage to achieve a goal.”